Center for Financial Services

Infrastructure, Software & Datafeeds

The Trading Room is a state-of-the-art teaching and research center located in the Smith Academic Technology Center at Bentley University (Suite 226). As the centerpiece of the university's Hughey Center for Financial Services, the Trading Room provides firsthand exposure to financial concepts such as trading, portfolio construction, corporate finance concepts and risk management.

The 5000 square-foot facility comprises two parts: the main trading floor and the adjacent business suite, which is used as an overflow facility. In aggregate, the Trading Room is equipped with 60 Hewlett Packard workstations — each with a dual 19" NEC flat panel display — and twenty four Bloomberg terminals. Each workstation is equipped with real-time data and leading financial technologies.

Software And Datafeeds

Through the Trading Room, the Hughey Center for Financial Services (HCFS) provides students with access to an unrivaled collection of datafeeds and analytical tools valued at more than $3.5 million in annual licensing fees. This investment positions the HCFS as one of the most powerful investment research centers in the country. Provided below is a description of each application. For information on workshops, mini classes and tutorials provided for each of the applications, please visit our resources page.

Bloomberg has one of the most extensive databases of information available in the financial world. Bloomberg’s built-in screening, searching, and analysis tools allow for extensive data retrieval, interpretation, and manipulation. Information on every financial market, instrument, and variable in the world is at your fingertips. Bloomberg’s international information coverage is also wide-ranging, with news and economic information on every country available both real-time and historically. Advanced bond screening, custom option monitoring, portfolio tracking, Excel data exportation, technical analysis, FX cross-rates, industry tracking, global economic statistics, relative company analysis; these are simply a handful of the hundreds of the integrated Bloomberg functions designed to allow the end user near infinite information access and ability.

Capital IQ

Capital IQ Platform is a web and Excel-based research product that combines deep information on companies, markets, and people worldwide with robust tools for fundamental analysis, idea generation, and workflow management. Capital IQ Platform is deployed at over 2,700 leading investment banks, fund managers, private capital firms, and corporations worldwide.

Palisade Statistical Suite

Palisade Statistical Suite extends the forecasting capability of spreadsheet models created in MS Excel and provides the information needed to make accurate, efficient and confident risk management decisions. The program can create projected sales figures, expense data or other finnacial statements items based on historical data. Using Monte Carlo simulation, Palisade displays a range of possible outcomes and the likelihood of achieving each of them. The program can also be interfaced with RISKOptimizer to conduct linear and nonlinear optimizations. Optimization is the process of finding the best, or optimal, solution for your model.

DataStream Advance

DataStream Advance is a reporting and charting interface designed for use with DataStream’s internationally renowned historical financial and economic databases. It supplies stock market, indices, fundamentals and economics data from around the world with historical depth spanning more than 30 years. DataStream’s graphical user interface enables retrieval and display of reports, charts, and data, and allows for the custom integration of requested information over a variety of reporting formats.

FactSet

FactSet is a complete source for financial information. It combines more than 200 databases from industry-leading suppliers and powerful analytical tools into a single information system. FactSet has more thn 50 applications that allow users to analyze companies, portfolios, markets, and economies seamlessly. The program's comprehensive platform enables users to customize data to the smallest degree and to present data in a infinite variety of formats, including customized reports and charts. Some of the tools included are: Company Analytics, Real-Time Market Data, Market Analysis, Ownership Analytics, Deal / M&A Analysis, Hosted Data Storage, Portfolio Analysis, Risk Analysis, Fixed Income Analysis, Screening Tools, and Spreadsheet Models.

FactSet integrates real-time global news and quotes into the FactSet desktop application to provide complete analytic, research and market data to the user. The program allows the user to easily access real-time, fundamental and historical data from a single platform. With virtually limitless customization, you can tailor your screen to fit your specific needs. Easily change the look and feel of the screen displays, customize your watch lists and quote displays, filter news stories and access your portfolio holdings in real time.

Financial Trading System

Financial Trading System (FTS) is a web-based software package that allows professors and Trading Room staff to simulate markets using pre-designed cases, teaching modules and other supporting material. With this system, students have the opportunity to manage their own real-time position, act as market traders and apply trading theories. Through the use of FTS students learn important concepts from personal trading experiences by viewing the problem from both a trading and trading support perspective. Cases that are used cover Fixed Income markets, Equity markets, Derivative markets as well as Swaps markets.

Morningstar

Morningstar provides students with a basic understanding of the functionality of the software. Morningstar provides detailed information on more than 20,000 mutual funds, equities, ETFs, and hedge funds, including historical data (monthly, quarterly and annual), fund composition, portfolio screening, risk adjusted star-ratings, investment style boxes, and analyst reviews and commentaries. Morningstar also offers the ability to rank and compare funds, perform advanced analysis for research purposes, and construct and analyze mutual fund portfolios.